Music: {allcanada} CANADA'S RAONIC SHRUGS OFF NEWFOUND FAME

Thursday, March 31, 2011

{allcanada} CANADA'S RAONIC SHRUGS OFF NEWFOUND FAME

TORONTO -- When he left Ontario just three months ago, Milos Raonic could not have imagined how on his next trip home, he'd have a courtside seat at a Toronto Raptors game, and launching tennis balls up into a crowd of basketball fans screaming his name.

Life has changed considerably for the fast-rising tennis star.

The 20-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., with the thunderous serve, has a meteoric rise up the tennis ranks to thank for his newfound celebrity, leap-frogging up 108 spots to No. 34 on the ATP tour.

"Getting that kind of experience like (the basketball game) was amazing," Raonic said. "It's memories you build, special memories, and when all these kinds of things come, it's a good feeling because it means you're doing something right, and it means for me, I've been doing the right things on the court, I've been playing well. I hope to keep getting better and better and who knows what will come down the road."

But Raonic shrugs off any suggestions of fame, saying remaining humble has been a big key to his success. He plans to stay that way.

"I've had all these experiences and it's easy to get carried away with and easy to get your ego too big. I just want to stay humble about everything," Raonic said. "I made the good results that I have because I remained level-headed about everything. I think that's going to be a very important thing for myself in my career.

"I don't think I'll be getting too far if I start thinking too much of myself.

Raonic is back home for a brief break before resuming a whirlwind season that will take him to Monte Carlo in just over a week. He spoke at a packed news conference Thursday at a downtown Lacoste store, one of his sponsors.

A small boy in the crowd dressed in tennis whites clutched a scribbled sign that read: "Milos, your osum."

"Every sport wants a role model, a successful role model on both sides," said Michael Downey, Tennis Canada's CEO. "He's got humility, but he's also a great athlete.

"It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, and that's the key thing."

Raonic won the SAP Open in San Jose this season for the first Canadian title in 16 years. But his loss to American star Andy Roddick in the final of the ATP 500 event in Memphis may have been his most endearing moment for fans. When he received his trophy, he told the crowd that at least he'd be in a famous YouTube video, just on the wrong side of the court.

"I'm sorry, you couldn't have scripted it better than that, and that he actually said that spontaneously is amazing," Downey said. "I think it says something about the cerebral power of this young man."

He's coming off a disappointing performance at the Sony Ericsson Open, where he made a quick exit, losing his opening match to India's Somdev Devvarman.

Raonic admitted then that the fatigue from being on the road since the New Year had begun to creep in.

He joked Thursday that he'd spent much of his first couple of days home in Thornhill in bed sleeping. He was also enjoying his mom's cooking.

Raonic said the growing interest in him with each tournament on the road was a thrill. He drew hundreds of Canadian "snowbirds" in both California and Florida. He used to practice at tournaments before maybe a half dozen people, but that number had swelled to more than 100.

"There's a lot of pride in having a hundred people showing up, and people telling you they're Canadian, they're proud," Raonic said. "It's really something special to have the pride and feel that emotion come from them."

A reporter likened him Thursday to a sort of Mike Weir of tennis, and was asked if there was any added sense of responsibility carrying Canada's hopes on his shoulders. But Raonic said the reception at the Raptors game was affirmation of the positive impact he's having on the game in Canada.

"I think tennis is an amazing sport, I grew up loving it and it wasn't as much a love as it was an obsession. Really it was the only thing I wanted to do," Raonic said. "I hope parents see what's possible in tennis. There's no reason why there shouldn't be a few Canadians at the top of men's and women's tennis."